1. Field
Embodiments of the following description relate to a technology that may generate a three-dimensional (3D) zoom image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional stereo three-dimensional (3D) camera generates a 3D zoom image using a scheme of generating 3D information by enlarging a left image and a right image that are obtained through zoom lenses respectively mounted in cameras of the conventional stereo 3D camera.
FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of an example of a conventional scheme of acquiring a 3D zoom image.
As shown in a left view 110 of FIG. 1, a 3D zoom image may be acquired using only zoom lenses of a left camera and a right camera, without moving the left camera and right camera to the left or right. Specifically, to obtain the 3D zoom image, two-dimensional (2D) images acquired by the left camera and the right camera may be enlarged using only the zoom lenses, instead of moving the left camera and the right camera. In reality, an effect of acquiring an image of a distant object at a closer distance based on a magnification may be obtained similar to that shown in a right view 120 of FIG. 1. However, a baseline between the left camera and the right camera may be reduced.
Similarly, as shown in the right view 120, a 3D zoom image may be acquired using only zoom lenses of a left camera and a right camera. Due to the 3D zoom image of the right view 120, an image projected on a 2D image plane of each of the left camera and the right camera may be enlarged. As shown in the 3D zoom image of the right view 120, 3D information of a depth direction is not enlarged to the same size as a magnification of each of the zoom lenses. Specifically, when a 3D object, for example a box, is enlarged, a 3D structure of the 3D object needs to be enlarged by representing, in a 3D image, a side surface and a top surface of the box that were not shown before enlarging the 3D object. However, as a result of the conventional scheme, only 2D information obtained by projecting the 3D information of the depth direction on a 2D plane is enlarged. In other words, the conventional scheme results in enlargement of the image projected on the 2D image plane of each of the left camera and the right camera, however, fails to enlarge 3D information of an object to the same size as the magnification of each of the zoom lenses.
Additionally, due to characteristics of 3D information, when a distant object is zoomed in closer, a viewpoint from which each point of an image is observed may be changed. Accordingly, a 3D structure of a 3D object may be changed.
In other words, since a change of a 3D structure is not reflected to a conventional 3D zoom image, an image with a lower 3D effect of a zoomed 3D object may be obtained, or the 3D information may be distorted.